Beyond Reach
by NyteKnight
Summary: It's been 5 years after the Siege of Orgrimmar and Caeden Dawnblade's defection. For the young Dawnblade family, peace and quiet still remains elusive.
1. Watcher

Laughter and the sound of fireworks annoyed him. Everywhere he looked there were families and celebrations. The Darkmoon Fair had some to town. The fair reminded him of what was lost. He had a family once. A father, a sister, a lover. All were gone. Fallen in Lordaeron. Only he remained, this former shell of the proud Lordaeron warrior. He turned back towards the window. The armored warrior spied his query walking with his wife and child towards the portals that would take them to Darkmoon Island.

The sun gleamed off the Elf's bright hair. The Paladin was dressed causal today, his armor was conspicuously missing as were his weapons. Besides him, a human woman walked, her hand slipped into his. In the decades that passed, she looked the same as she did the last time he saw her.

Ahead of them skipped a young child. She wore a light pink dress and had ginger hair pulled high in pig tails. Her long slender pointed ears showed through her hair. The Death Knight sighed and turned away from the window.

He grabbed his satchel and headed downstairs to start after the family.

* * *

**AN: So this starts another story. This story is set 5 years after Orgrimmar.**


	2. Revelations

The Death Knight remained several lengths behind the family. He browsed the vendors, stopped and chatted with people, drawing little attention to himself. While he, in life, had trained as a warrior, his father and later his elder sister were renown rogues. He had learned well from them. But there was a limit to his abilities. The family he was following were preoccupied with their excited child. It made things much easier for him.

A faint smile came to his pale lips. The girl could not be much older than 3 or 4. She had the slim, tall build of her Blood Elf Father. But the face belonged to her mother.. Her strawberry blond hair was pulled into long pigtails. She had chubby cheeks, speckled with freckles and that cute familiar upturned nose. A memory of another child came to his mind.

His eyes slid from the child to her mother. She wore her ginger hair longer now, loose around her shoulders. She wore a long skirt and a cotton blouse. The clothing revealed a significant swell to her stomach. She was with child again. Looking at her, he could see the child he remembered there as well as the woman she later became.

However, the gentleman accompanying her was different. He may have been the same race, but he certainly was not the same. Tae'thelon Sundancer was prideful in his opinion. To his knowledge, he never hurt Celine, either physically or emotionally. However he held a grudge if anyone appeared to be better than he. From what he was able to gather from his few encounters with him, Caeden Dawnblade was the opposite. He was open, genuine, humble and adored Celine. He had been a priest in Quel'thalas and was a Paladin, working closely in Stormwind and the Argent Crusade. He had recently defected from the Blood Knights and the Horde as a whole after the Siege of Orgrimmar. He had spoken briefly to Dawnblade at Light's Hope Chapel shortly after their first child was born. He spoke highly of his family and of his wife. The Death Knight genuinely liked him. Once again, he hesitated on his course of action. However, it was a course of action he had to take as circumstanced prevented anything else as an alternative.

* * *

Celine chuckled softly to herself as she watched her husband and daughter head down to the petting zoo. Sophie, ever since watching her daddy at Light's Hope Chapel, had been fascinated by horses. Caeden's charger was larger than most but that didn't deter the brave girl. Caeden and Celine had even arranged to purchase a pony for the girl as a birthday present in a few months.

She headed towards the food vendors knowing the child would ask for funnel cake and an iced berry slushy as soon as she was done with the pony rides.

An icy, plate covered hand reached out and grabbed her wrist tightly, pulling her off her feet and against the cold Saronite armor. The other hand went around to cover her mouth.. With a growl, Celine kicked the Death Knight and threw herself forward away from him. She shadowstepped and appeared behind him, reaching for a hidden knife. The knight turned around quickly, having anticipated that particular trick. He did not anticipate the knife slammed down hard into his collar bone. He went down to his knees with a grunt, the wound burning intensely.

"Cissy," the deep resonate voice said. He placed his hands out in front of him, still kneeling on the ground. The wound had started to heal, slowly and painfully. Her alchemy and poison making skill had improved...greatly.

Celine froze. No one had used that nickname in ages. No one left alive even knew of it. Yet this Death Knight did.

The Death Knight slowly reached up towards his helm. "Let me show you Cissy." he pulled the mail helm off. In life, his hair was a red blond, the match to Celine's. Now it had faded, almost to white, but still managed to retain some of the original red highlights.

"Benjamin" Celine whispered. She brought up a hand to her heart. The other was trembling so much she had lost grip on the knife. It fell to the ground.

He slowly rose to his full height. His wound had nearly healed but left a red scar. His movements were careful, measured as he took his gauntlets off. The flesh underneath was pale, yet far from the deathly color she had observed in other Death Knights in Icecrown.

"You survived," she said softly, looking at the Death Knight. She took in his features. The upturned nose was crooked from being broken a few times, one time at her hand if she remembered right. His light green eyes were now a cold glowing blue and heavily creased. His lips twitched then turned up into a slight smile before fading.

He looked away at her words, "I'm not sure surviving is the word for this. I...I'm sorry for..."

Celine cut him off with a shriek of joy and flung her arms tightly around him, "Benjamin," she cried, tears in her eyes. Her the top of her head barely reached even his shoulders but she clung to him.

After a few stunned moments, Benjamin reached up and brought his hand down, caressing her hair. "Celine...I've missed you." he whispered, kissing the top of her head.

A bright light stunned them both. Celine had to closer he eyes to shield them from the brightness. Benjamin was obviously more familiar with the holy ability that hit them both and recoiled violently, pulling away from Celine. The rasp of a steel knife founded as it was pulled from its hidden sheath. "Step away from my wife monster." Caeden snarled in a murderous tone of voice.

* * *

Highlord Tirion Fordring growled in disgusts at the corpses presented before him. Two women, sisters, barely out of childhood. Both slain in the fields of their farm. Both slain while fleeing. He could feel the cold still radiating from the wounds. Thassarian had confirmed the wounds were caused by a Runesword forged to death frost damage. "Coward" he muttered as he knelt down beside the corpses.

Closing his eyes, he gave them their last rights and prayed to the light that justice would be done for these two and the others.

He stood and addressed the two Death Knights in front of him. "Let it be known the Death Knight known as Shadowstalker is to be found and brought to Mardenholde for questioning, trial and execution for his crimes."

* * *

Celine turned around quickly as soon as she had recovered. Fear was evident on her face. She had never heard that chilled tone in Caeden's voice before.

"Celine. Come here." Caeden's voice was calm, firm and commanding. He never took his eyes off the Death Knight. He had moved closer, slipping into slight crouch. The knife was held firmly in one hand. Celine had seen this position before. Caeden was better acquainted with swords and maces but occasionally had used a dagger or two. Celine had even taught him a few techniques. The expression on his face was what chilled her. He was seriously. Deadly serious, his attention focused on her Benjamin.

"Caeden..." Celine said, standing between the Death Knight and her husband. "Stand down." Her tone offered no argument. She didn't know why he was here, after the years that had passed since he left with Arthas.

"Celine...please...I don't want you harmed." It was Benjamin that spoke. He stepped out from behind her. "If Dawnblade wants to finish this here and now, we will."

Celine shot her husband a frantic look. Her husband had narrowed his eyes, the blade ready in his hand. Benjamin had not moved, his hands to the side. His runeblade remained sheathed across his back.

"Caeden. Please!" Celine cried, unsure of what to do. Benjamin's actions made it clear that he didn't want her help. But she wouldn't be able to stand by while he was attacked. She pleaded with her husband, "Please. Don't harm him. He's the only family I have."

Caeden stopped, blinking at Celine. He looked at her closely. Celine was serious, emotions flittering across her face. Fear, determination, and a fierceness he had only seen on the battlefield. He knew if he harmed this Death Knight, he might just have to fight his own wife. If she only knew what this monster was capable of...what he did.

Beside her, Benjamin growled a warming rumble in his chest. "I don't need my big sister protecting me Celine. Dawnblade would be in his right to kill me."

Caeden blinked, slowly lowering the blade. "Sister?" he asked, skepticism in his voice. He had known this particular death knight, at times called him brother and never knew him to resort to such tricks to save his own life. He looked at the Death Knight's face and peered closely at his eyes. The shape was the same, round and wide. Glowing more of a frosty blue instead of green. The cheekbones were high, standing out in sharp contrast. He saw those features, softened to more feminine proportions every day. The same features that adorned his wife and child. Caeden stepped back, rubbing a hand over his face. "Sister?" he said, hollowly and unbelieving.

"Benjamin Addington, former Captain in the Lordaeron army under the command of Prince Arthas Menethil. And my baby brother." Celine said by way of introduction. "He obviously knows you."

"I have worked with the Knights of the Silver Hand and the Argent Crusade in Hearthglen." Benjamin replied. His eyes grew cold and troubled. "Cissy. I'm in trouble and I need your help."


End file.
